Improvement in fire-escapes



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2 Sheets -8 C. G. MILTON. Fire-Escapes.-

y- Patented May 6,1873.

WITNESSES INVE NT'OR 1 AM pnoro-umumrwlc 00. MY. (assonrva's moans) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

Patented May 6,1873.

C. C. MILTON. F re-Escapes.

AM. PIIOTO-UTHOGRAPH/L' ca Am aswnws PRaGEss) I??? sh UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

oHARLEs o. MILTON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, Assrenon or one- HALF HIS RIGHT TO EDWARD A. LEARNED, or SAME PL oE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FlRE-ESCAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 138,513, dated May 6, 1873; application filed February 27, 1873.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OHARLEs O. MILTON, of the city and county ofSan Francisco, State of California, have invented certain Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to the combination of a rope and pulley and traveling car, provided with a compound-lever eccentric brake, to be used for the purposes of a fire-escape, in such manner that the pulley with rope and car attachments can be suspended from any fixed support on a building, and the lever-brake be so conveniently placed and arranged as to regulate the rate of the descent of the occupant of the car; the object of my invention being to produce a fire escape that can be used by either one or two persons at the same time, and can, withoutoutside assistance, admit of their ascent or descent from a burning building, by reason of the efficiency and control to be had over the compound-lever brake, as well as from the superior construction of the car.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a building supposed to be on fire, and from which escape by the door-way has been cut off. On the lefthand side my improved portable escape is represented in use by a person about to descend without further assistance, and on the right the double form of fire-escape embodying my invention, wherein two people are be ing rescued at the same time. Fig.2 is a perspective view of the apparatus embodying my invention, with an outline of the mode of application. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the frame of the traveling car, with the compound-lever eccentric brake embodying my invention. Fig. 4 represents the leather tubing for grasping the endless rope while it slides easily through it. Fig. 5 represents a portable fire-escape embodying my invention, wherein the frame is simplified in construction and size reduced. Fig. 6 is a front view of my fire-escape, the same as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, with the addition of rope and pulley attachments and adjustable hook m for fixing the brake.

With reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, Sheet 1, A A is the car, consisting of a metallic frame F, to which are fastened the top and bottom straps sand 8, respectively, the top strap being placed around the neck and the bottom strap forming a seat for the occupant. The metallic frame F is constructed so as to have the side bars b b hollow for receiving the compound-lever eccentric brake E E, and the endless rope T which passes over a pulley-block K, and is attached to the car itself by the top and bottom knots cl d on the bar I), through which it is fixed to the frame F. The straps s s are secured to the,

transverse bars 0 c, the bottom strap buckling, by means of a hook and eye attachment, h,so as to be readily adjusted around the legs for forming a seat. The compound brake E E consists of two levers, E and E. The lever E is pivoted at f inside of, and at the upper portion of, the right-hand bar b of the frame F, and when closed or pressed within the bar 1) acts directly on the long arm of the lever E, pivoted beneath at z, by means of the projectlump l near its fulcrum f. The lever E is grooved on the inner face so as to admit of the endless rope r sliding along, the space between this groove and the interior wall at of the bar b being. sufficient to allow of this rope passing freely when the lever E has been pulled out; and since, by reason of the form of the projection l, the more it is closed the more will this grooved lever E be forced to squeeze the rope 1' between itself and the wall of the bar I), the resultant friction thus insures a decrease or stoppage of the rate of descent of the car as may be required. Another form of this portable fire-escape on the same principle is represented in Sheet 2, Fig. 5, wherein the frame F has been reduced to a single piece with the straps s and 8 attached top and bottom to suitable handles provided. In this case the rope 1" passes twice through the frame F, once for making it a part of the car, by securing it through the tubing in the casting by the top and bottom knots d d, and again in sliding through for compression and adjustment by the compound eccentric brake E E, which is of the same construction and acts in a similar manner to that already described.

In Fig. 6, Sheet 2, the frame F is supplied with a centrallyfixed pulley within the transverse bar 0, and the block it also has two sheaves, so that the endless rope r, on being fixed to the barb, is passed over the first sheave, then round the pulley t in the frame F, then over the second sheave, and lastly, through the bar I) for adjustment by the compound-lever brake E which is also the same in construction and mode of action as that already described. By this means the endless rope "I" has been four times attached and consequently a fourfold power or control is obtained over the movements of the car.

When the fire-escape, as described in Figs. 2, 3 and 5, is required for use, the pulley-block 7c is hung onto an eye provided in the building and the car adjusted to the person'by placing the top strap 8 around the neck and hooking the bottom one 8 around the legs so as to form aseat; the spare rope is then taken in the left hand, the bar b of the frame F grasped with the right so as to regulate the brake E E and the bar b with the left. The descent can now be easily accomplished at a entle rate by the proper compression on the lever E,

Two persons can also descend at the same time by having double straps s s, top and bottom, such arrangement being very useful in the case of areseue of a helpless man, woman, and child, one of the two passengers being required for the'management of the apparatus; also, in the case of such rescue, if no one is near the burning building at the time to assist in pulling the person up from below, by means of the rope r the rescuer can raise himself by this rope and rest at will from his exertions, by employing the brake E E, and thus singly attain his object. i

In the case of the fire-escape represented in Fig. 5, the occupant of the car will be required to grasp the frame F, with both hands, and in all descriptions of this fire-escape a tubing of leather, 9, is provided for the rope 'l".

I claim as my invention- 1. The compound-lever eccentric brake E E provided within the right-hand bar I) of the frame F, part of the car A A, in combination with the endless rope r and pulley-block K,

substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The compound-lever brake E E provided vwithin the frame F of the car A A, in combination with the endless rope 1', sheave t, and double pulley-block 70, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

7 CHARLES C. MILTON. Witnesses:

LIONEL VARICAS,

ALFRED C. CRANE. 

